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Joel Backwell

Joel is currently Austrade’s Investment Adviser for Advanced Manufacturing, Services and Technology, having just returned to Melbourne from Malaysia. From early 2013 until August 2015 Joel was Australia’s Trade Commissioner to Malaysia and Brunei, where he and his team assisted Australian companies exporting to Malaysia and facilitated a range of high-level visits from Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers and business associations.

From 2010-2013 he worked as a Senior Policy Adviser in the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet in the Resources and Infrastructure Branch (DPC). While at DPC Joel managed the Transport and Industry teams on a range of economic, transport and infrastructure projects and policies and was also part of the team that developed Victoria's Asia-related strategies and initiatives.

Prior to working at DPC, Joel was a solicitor with law firm Herbert Smith Freehills in the major projects and energy & resources groups, working across Asia and Australia on oil and gas joint ventures, Public Private Partnerships, utilities and major infrastructure projects. He also worked in Jakarta for the oil and gas company Santos and local law firm Soemadipradja & Taher.

Joel has a double Honours degree in Arts/Law from Monash University and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Economics from KOHE. He also has accreditations from the Leadership Institute of Victoria, Asialink and the Malaysian Institute of Management. Joel has spent a number of years working and studying in Asia and South America and speaks Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Malaysia and Spanish.